This invention relates generally to vapor recovery nozzles and more particularly concerns a dual spout vapor recovery nozzle which is easily manufactured. It will be disclosed in connection with a liquid dispensing nozzle adapted for dispensing of gasoline with dual rigid spouts and an interspoutal passageway for the recovery of vapor.
Vapor recovery systems which prevent escape of gasoline vapors into the atmosphere when vehicle gasoline tanks are being filled through a dispensing nozzle are now well known in the art and in wide spread use. Most of these dispensing nozzles have a discharge spout which is enclosed within a flexible bellows. The bellows extends substantially parallel to the discharge spout and cooperates with the spout to form a flow passage between the inner surface of the bellows and the outer surface of the spout. This flow passage is cooperatively connected to a vacuum system to withdraw gasoline vapors which would otherwise escape and pollute the atmosphere.
While these bellows type nozzles have been very efficient, they are not without disadvantages. The bellows are very large, awkward, and bulky. They are also very expensive and susceptible to damage. It has thus been suggested that the bellows type dispensing nozzle be replaced with a double spout nozzle with two concentric rigid spouts. In order to realize this objective, it is necessary to mount both of the rigid spouts upon the nozzle body. Further, the spouts must be mounted in such a way as to maintain manufacturing costs at a level which makes the double spout nozzle price competitive with the bellows type nozzles. Thus, the mounting of both of the spouts to the body of a nozzle must be done in a manner that permits all of the component parts to be readily machined.
Moreover, it is highly desirable to provide a dispensing nozzle with a preferred spot of weakening. That is, a preferred spot or location at which the nozzle will break in the event that it is subjected to extreme stress, such as when a vehicle pulls away from a gasoline pump before the dispensing nozzle is removed from the vehicle tank or when the nozzle is dropped to the ground. The most preferred location for breaking the nozzle is at the spout, downstream of the valving members in the dispensing nozzle. If the nozzle is not designed to break at a preferred location in such a situation, movement of the vehicle may pull the gasoline pump off it's foundation, dislodge the fuel tank from the vehicle, or sever the hose connecting the pump and the nozzle. Each of these consequences is highly undesirable.
The device to provide a preferred spot of weakening has been accentuated drastically in recent years with the proliferation of self-service gasoline stations in which consumers dispense gasoline into their own vehicles. The wide spread practice of permitting inexperienced personnel to operate gasoline pumps further increases the likelihood that a vehicle will be moved before the dispensing nozzle is removed from the fuel tank.
In the absence of some procedure to insure that a vehicle does not pull away from the gasoline tank and that the nozzle is not broken by some other action such as dropping the nozzle to the ground or otherwise impacting the nozzle, it is also important to design the nozzle such that any breakage will result in the minimum of inconvenience. Preferably, the nozzle is designed with a spot of weakening which will facilitate breakage in such a manner that the nozzle may be quickly repaired in the field at a minimum expense.
Accordingly, it is the primary aim of the present invention to provide a dispensing nozzle which overcomes each of the aforementioned shortcomings without offsetting disadvantages.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an easily manufacturable vapor recovery nozzle with dual concentric rigid spouts.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vapor recovery dispensing nozzle which eliminates the need and expense of a flexible bellows.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dual spout dispensing nozzle with means for selectively blocking the interspoutal passageway between the spouts.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vapor recovery nozzle with dual concentric rigid spouts in which the nozzle has a preferred spot of weakening which facilitates breakage at a preferred location whenever the nozzle experiences impact.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vapor receovery nozzle which is easily, readily, and inexpensively repaired in the field after breakage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rigid dual spout vapor recovery nozzle which securely locates and retains each of the spouts.